Hello fellow educators, welcome to podcast number 64. This podcast and next week’s will be our last for this school year. I will continue the feed with some of our favourite podcasts for the year. This past month I have been talking about the important of reading for the Christian Educator. There is no better way to continue our path of lifelong learning than the printed page or if you have a busy travel schedule like me, the audio book. For some tips in how I am able to read 3 to 4 books a month go to podcast number 61. These last two podcasts will be your last opportunity to get a free copy or audio version of my book, Discipling this Generation for a Digital World. I will have the details at the end of the podcast.

Last week I received a number of emails about one particular book I recommended, Steven Covey’s, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. If you listened to the podcast I was somewhat enthusiastic in my recommendation of this “Self Help” title. I did receive a few comments about my “passionate” endorsement. Probably the most thoughtful, though stinging rebuke came from my good friend Mark Daley. Here is part of his comment:

You should know that we decimate Covey’s worldview in our Comparative Civilizations course, particularly the quote below. …… Do note that we appeal to the wider body of wisdom in the world (as you advocate in your podcast), even showing how the Greeks were an instrument of God; so we are not narrow, if that should be your concern. The concern is rather: in a time when individual Christians are so easily wooed by success mantras, I take my responsibility very seriously as a Christian educator to expose their half truths, precisely because they are so enticing in their appeal to the flesh (Covey’s stuff is not so much universal as principle as it is universal appeal); we all want to realize our fullness – human promotion has been the greatest problem since the beginning of time. Should we not be offering a biblical distinctive on this endemic human problem? Is there not a responsibility for us to challenge “versions” of fullness that place a shadow over the cross? I think the greater responsibility is not to sell his half truths, but to challenge the half they leave out, and of course, to do so in love.

“Through imagination we can visualize the uncreated worlds of potential that lie within us. Through conscience, we can come in contact with universal laws or principles with our own singular talents and avenues of contribution, and with the personal guidance within which we can most effectively develop them. Combined with self-awareness, these two endowments empower us to write our own script.” (Covey, Seven Habits, 103, 163).

Bottom line, Covey’s stuff appears to me as effectual toward a focus of self-as-god – that persons have power within to make what they want of their life. Doctrinally, I believe we have moral freewill, but not the freewill to make ourselves something other than God has endowed and will sustain to His ends for His glory; and if I am outside that, I am glorifying self. Covey’s work would disagree with this second view of freewill, and by implication, would you too? If that is the case, then discipleship as we have defined in – realizing our fullness in Christ – is erroneous. It would then be Christ plus self-will to im/prove ourselves. We should talk about this at OCWC perhaps or at the wider Admin table?I think this will be an issue for you and I going forward, so we may wish to discuss its implications at some time. Then again, maybe you just overstated yourself in the podcast and you have in fact done some rigorous critical “reflection” on Covey’s work.

Audio as well.

Thanks Mark. I hear you. Let me explain myself and my recommendation. The aspect of my ringing endorsement came from how much help I received from this book at a time when I needed two specific things in my life. A better handle on how I was setting the priorities in my life and a more “effective” way of communicating with those I love. Covey also articulated several aspects of how I see the world in light of personal and business relationships. As mentioned last week, the habit or principle of “Seek first to understand, then be understood” was instrumental in detecting a subtle flaw in my method of communication. I am, like most educators, motivated to be understood. Yet I found that I was not listening to those who would come to me with issues. My quick mind would push me to interrupt, give my grand wisdom, and not truly listen and understand what and why the person was coming to me. In Covey’s Habit, “Think Win Win.” I saw something of how God wants us always to put the other’s need before our need. With God we always win or perhaps a better way to say it is we will always eventually win. I believe that God has created enough abundance on earth and given unlimited grace that in any negotiation, conflict and interpersonal engagement we can always come out with a “winning” solution for both people involved. And, as I said last week, his first three habits came at a time in my life when I needed to re-establish priorities in my life. God used this book to help me grow closer to him. Not out of self exalting priorities but rather putting time with him and my family back into my life. Covey is not a “get things done” guy nor is the book written to teach this. I found that he was highly relational and helpful when I needed this specific help. Perhaps it illustrates the idea that “to the pure, all things are pure.” I read and used the book through my personal and strong, “in Christ” filter. I have a strong sense of my life being in Christ and tend to see my world through this revelation. I know that without him I am nothing. I know that my true effectiveness in this life comes from my relationship with Him. But I also know that I can allow my priorities to slip and my heart of love for others to be outdone by my prideful impatient quick wit.

So “humanism” aside, I still, now only somewhat, recommend the Seven Habits. But like Mark has pointed out let’s be careful to see and understand some of the foundational issues that are contrary to our Christian worldview. As I started last week’s rant I tried to preface it with the comment that I am not a fan of the “Self Help” genre for obvious reasons. Jesus said that we have to lose our Life in order to gain our Life.

Moving on. I received a few more comments. Let me share with you Linda Waines, who has five children, enrolled with HCOS and home schooling.

I am responding with a selection of my favourite works of fiction.  I have always loved the standard "girl" novels, such as Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, Little Women, Heidi, Eight Cousins, and such like.  I am also fond of historical fiction.  But the novels by Jane Austin would top my list.  I delight in how her writing points out, in an almost mocking way, how the social norms govern our behaviour, and how the rules of "society" affect our lives and the decisions that we make on a daily basis.  I also enjoy her stabs (jabs, pokes, whatever you call it) at human foibles and character traits, the good, the bad and the ugly.  It always helps to step outside of ourselves and take a good look at who we are, and why we are the type of person we are.

Being a homeschooling mum has opened the door to the world of books much wider, than if my children were in regular school.  This being, because I need to read the books either before, or as, my children are reading them, so I know what the books are about, can actually make up the questions for the novel study, and/or converse intelligently with my children about the book.  Now, of course, I can't pre-read every book that my children read, and we have great conversations about the story anyway, but I do prefer to read them if I can.

Thanks Linda, I love that she is taking time to read and using that time in her role as an educator.

Linda mentioned historical fiction. I have developed, through reading in this genre, a much greater hunger for history. I read some novels about the Apostles years ago in this genre and found myself wanting to know if this was really true. From there I began to read Christian history in a non-fiction format. I have subscribed to Christian History magazine and ordered all of the issues I did not have. From there I began to read some of the literature from key leaders like Luther, Calvin, Edwards etc. all rising from a couple of interesting books of historical fiction. My favourite author in this genre is Edward Rutherfurd. His book on Russia entitled Russka has given me some insight into the enormously difficult path the Russian people have lived through. I thoroughly enjoyed the 830 page historical novel London. His style and stories include peasants and nobles, wars and peace. He follows several fictional families in his novels as they move through history and their lands. It is a great way to fall in love with history but you have to be careful to discern the fact from fiction.

I had a chance to do a quick interview with two of the smartest people I know as we shared coffee in Starbucks last night. Here is Sarah Bennett’s list of best home schooling books.

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Sarah is always someone to listen to in this genre. Of course I had to ask Steve Smith and, of course he wanted to challenge and stir up our ideas about the poor and politics. Here are his recommendations.

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Thanks Steve. I have just recently read Playing the Enemy by John Carlen which tells the story of South Africa’ journey from apartheid. It helped me understand the incredible contrasts of the nation I visited last summer.  In the area of Biography I am going to also recommend both a biography and a science read. Two summers ago I read Einstein by Walter Isaacson. It was extremely well written with great details about his life, particularly his early years and it was full of great yet simple explanations of the science of physics Einstein has dramatically altered. Isaacson writes about Einstein’s worldview and perspectives of faith. For the science person this is a must read in order to understand one of the most influential thinkers and physicists of all time. I would recommend this for the non science person as well.

There are so many more books that I would love to recommend but I need to move on. Next week I want to talk about a book that is describing the disruptive way home schooling and student based computer instruction will change everything about the future of education. I also hope to have at least one or two of your all time important reads in areas of biography, science or any other genre. Please email us your comments and thoughts on today’s podcast. Also, if you would like us to mail you a free copy of my book or send you the download link for the audio version of, Discipling This Generation for a Digital World, simply send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and let us know what type of an educator you are, home schooler, classroom teacher, school administrator, or interested parent. Please let us know how you heard about the podcast and, of course, please include your mailing address. Thank you for listening and thank you for your commitment to discipleship-based Christian education.